Chili with Kidney Beans

We use the following ingredients in this Chili with Kidney Beans recipe:

• Ground beef: We prefer 80/20 ground beef for this recipe, meaning about 80% lean beef to 20% fat.
• Dark red kidney beans: We prefer the dark red kidney beans because they hold their shape a bit better than the lighter varieties adding nice texture to the chili.
• Tomato sauce
• Diced tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes are easy to use for this recipe.
• Onions: Sweet yellow onions are preferred.
• Garlic: Using fresh garlic and mincing it is always best in our opinion.
• Chili powder: Your favorite chili powder is perfect here.
• Black pepper
• Sugar: The small amount of sugar used in this recipe helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Red wine vinegar: The red wine vinegar is a nice addition for flavor.
• Tabasco: The tabasco provides some heat and flavor.
• Italian seasoning: Use your favorite brand of Italian seasoning in this recipe. 
• Cumin: Cumin gives the chili a nice nutty and slightly sweet and smoky flavor.
• Sage: Dried sage is best for chili.
• Salt

Don't Skip the garnishes! This chili recipe is delicious without the toppings, but we live for some good chili toppings. Here are a few we recommend:

• Green onions
• Sour cream
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Sliced jalapeño pepper
• Diced red onions
• Cilantro

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutes

The ingredients in this Chili with Kidney Beans recipe are generally very easy to find. But here are a few substitutes:

• Ground Beef: We prefer beef in this recipe, but if you are looking for a lighter option, you can replace the beef with ground turkey or chicken instead.
• Kidney Beans: Light kidney beans can work here as well, or get creative with a different type of bean, such as black beans, pinto beans, navy beans or cannellini beans. You really can't go wrong!
• Diced tomatoes: We use canned diced tomatoes for this recipe to make our lives easier, but fresh diced tomatoes work too. 
• Chili Powder: As mentioned above, use your favorite or a homemade version that you love. This is also a great way to modify the spice level. Use a mild version if you prefer less heat.
• Red Wine Vinegar: You can use balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar in place of red wine vinegar.
• Tabasco: Any other hot sauce can be used instead of tabasco. Or if you prefer less heat, omit the tabasco altogether.
• Italian seasoning: If you don't have Italian seasoning, simply use equal parts of dried basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano.

Instructions

As mentioned, this chili is really easy to make and is perfect to enjoy on busy weeknights. Let's break down the steps:

Brown the Ground Beef

Start by heating a large skillet over medium high heat and adding about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Next, add the ground beef cook until browned using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the ground beef into smaller chunks.

Start the Pot of Chili

While the beef browns, add kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce to a large pot over medium heat. This will be your pot for the rest of the chili cooking process, so make sure it's large enough to hold all of the ingredients. We use a 6-7 qt large Dutch Oven, but any large soup pot will work. Once beef is brown, transfer meat to the pot with the kidney beans and tomatoes. Reserve a small amount of grease in the skillet to sauté the onions.

Sauté the Onions and Garlic

Using some of the residual fat in the skillet from the beef, sauté the onions over medium-high heat until translucent, then add the minced garlic for 1-2 minutes before transferring the onions and garlic to your chili pot.

Add Remaining Ingredients and Finish Chili

All that is left is to add the remaining ingredients to your pot of chili and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once it is done cooking, taste for seasoning and add more salt or chili powder if needed. Serve your chili garnished with your favorite toppings and a side of corn bread or garlic toast!

Variations

There are dozens of great ways to change up this recipe. Here are a few that we recommend:

• Make it more or less spicy! This chili recipe is easy to adjust for heat. If you like an extra spicy chili, add a hot chili powder, cayenne pepper, and/or some diced jalapeños or serranos. You can even add a spicier hot sauce or more hot sauce if you prefer! If you like your chili a bit less spicy, use a mild chili powder and reduce or omit the hot sauce.
• Use a leaner meat. We love a good beef chili, but this chili is still delicious with a leaner protein such as ground turkey or chicken.
• Roasted peppers. We will sometimes add a roasted poblano pepper or red bell peppers into the chili to give it some extra flavor.
• Make it vegetarian/vegan. Replace the meat with a plant based alternative - mushrooms, more beans, lentils or another vegetable for a vegan version of this recipe. 

Equipment

No special equipment is needed to make this easy chili recipe. A large skillet, we like to use nonstick, and a large soup pot is all the you need!

Storage

This is the perfect recipe to make at the beginning of the week so that you can enjoy the leftovers throughout the week for lunch and dinner!

How to Refrigerate Leftover Chili

• To store leftover chili, place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze leftover chili?

• Yes, you can easily freeze leftover chili. Store leftover chili in a freezer safe, airtight container in the freezer for up to 5 months.

How to Reheat Chili

• The best way to reheat chili from the fridge is to add leftovers to a pot, cover and heat on low on the stovetop until heated through. For frozen chili, defrost the chili first, then reheat in a covered pot on low on the stovetop until heated through. You can also reheat leftover chili in the microwave at 50% power until heated through.

What to serve with chili?

We love to eat a big bowl of chili alone with just the toppings. But it is fantastic with some toasted garlic bread or fresh from the oven cornbread.